Planograph co



F. W. VlCKEHYi FUSE FOR PROJECTILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28. 1919.

1 ,309,709. Patented July 15, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR FW VzLofrery, m 08m ATTORNEY F. W. VI CKERY. FUSE FOR PROJECTILES.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 28. 1919.

1 1,309,709. Patented July 15, 1919.

SHEET 2.

z SHEETS- IN ENTOR BY F W Vi/ckery.

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ATTORNEY sA'rEs ATE ornron FUSE FOR PROJECTI LES.

if 1,309,709. I V Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 15,1919. r l v Application filed April 28, 1919. Serial ne'asazss.

To all whom it may concern: edge of the stem and are so dimensioned that xiBegit known that I, FREDERICK WILLIAM a shock of a predetermined'magnitude will- 'VIo nRY, a subject of the King of Great cause the fingers to be moved sufficiently to ,-Britain and Ireland, and residing at allow thecollar to slide to the rear of the "Devonshire Grove, Old Kent Road, London, stem. Y

S, E., England, have invented certain new These fingers may be formed; by making and. useful Improvements in Fuses for Procuts in' the collar so as to leave between adjectiles, of which the following is a specija'centcuts a portion of metal of such size fication. I that whenthe portions are bent inward they l'This invention relates to percussion fuses ,will hold the collar in a position to retain for :projectilesof the kind in-which an. inthe resilient member, but will, under the ertia-collar encircling a stem forming part action of a shock of predetermined magniofthe inertia pellet to, which the striker tude, be moved outward to enable the collar needle or detonator is secured operates to to travel to the rear of the stem. prevent the outward motion of a locking [For instance, a collar may be provided means engaged between the striker and detwith two pairs of cuts so as to leave between ater-elements for a period of time after each member of a pair a relatively narrow the projectile with which the fuse is associstrip or finger of metal of a length which ;lated'has-beenlaunched in flight and to per may be equal to three-fourths the depth f of 7 5 omit such outward movement on the accelerathe ring. These strips 'or fingers are given tion'rof the projectile falling below a certain an'inward set so as to cause them to engage ,predetermined value. above the stem about which the collar is -Alfuse according to the invention commounted: Thus, for instance, they may be "prisesan inertia collar encircling a stem" bent inward gradually for about one-half forming part of the inertia pellet to which their length, and for the remaining portion i the striker needle or detonator is secured they maybe parallel with the axis of the and-retaining aresilient member between ring. 1 the striker and detonator elements in such The invention will be further described in manner that the motion of the inertia collar its relation to a fuse of the kind in which consequent upon the positive acceleration of firing results in the event of the projectile the projectile, acts to release the resilient striking an object at certain angles, by the member, and-the movement of the inertia wedging action of a body confined between pellet to which the striker needle or 'detsuitably formed surfaces, as, for instance, l onator isrsecured as a result of the acceleratwo coned surfaces. I V tionof'the projectile' falling below a certain; While, as will be understood, the firing j valuefcompletely-frees the resilient member mechanism in accordance with the invention, and'thuspermits relative motion between may be employed with grenades and other :the. striker and detonator elements to fire projectiles, a' form of firing mechanism "'thefdetonator on the velocity of the projecadapted for use with a shell will be detile being suddenly reduced. scribed. V ":"The resilient 'meniber is conveniently in The body may be of any suitable form, but f I theformi'of a spiral spring resemblinga' is preferably cylindrical, bored axially for clock spring. 7 w a certaindistance from one end with a hole :The inertia collar may in accordance with of a certain diameter-and from the other end 00 the invention be so formed that a shock of a with a hole of a less diameter sothat a i pred termined magnitud cause th conforshoulder is formed at .the junction of the two mationofthe'inertiacollar to be altered and hOIe I l I I Y thus enables the member to operate to release Th smallerfof the holes is tapped for sethe-resilient member. curing the ignition mechanism or fuse to the 1 50 1 The inertia collar maybe a 'spring'clip shell, the larger being adapted to act as the rig; adapted fto grip" the stem (if-the detonator' chamber in which the mechanism of the fuse pelletior it may bearing provided'with poris housed and being tapped to enable'a cap ti'ons adapted to. hold the collar in fixed reto be screwed into close this chamber. lationship withthefstem it encircles;'thus In this chamber a body on one side of 55' ,the'gcollar may be provided with fingers which the flash powder is held, and on the whichare bent so as to bear upon the upper otherj side of which is formed a conical V seating, is arranged to rest on aforesaid V V powder'directedtovvard 'the'end or theiuse V v contact vvithaconical surface of thelupper .Side :of this primer, the 'detonator pellet'7 fprovided with a socket 8 ofthe detonetor is supported With the detonatori 'gpelletF1' shoulder With the "side holding the lfiash adapted to be secured to the shell. e

On the conical seating, suitably formedxvith, for instance,aspher1,-V

cal surfaced end, in Which the detonatoris secured, is arranged in 'contact with the seat-j ing andnormally resting in the centeriof the conical seating. The center of i this detonator'holder is drilled to admit a striker needle and to:house:a spring which operates I normally to keep the striker needle from coming into contact With the detonator. A head'provided With a suitably formed, pref- 1 erably, a spherical surface, 'is provided :on; the needleiand this head is seated in the;

conical seating formed in :the cap, "or "clos ing device of the chamber onator mechanism.

. The distancebetvveen the conical seatings, and the combined length of the' detonator' holder and the'striker needlewith its head and with the intervening spring, are such that the spring referred to is held in compression and its'elf acts to "keep thezba'se'of the detonator holder and the head of the striker-ineedl'e centrally disposed in respect to the axis of the conical'seatings. t

Thejstrength of the compression spring is adjusted to the degree Which-suflicesnormally to prevent relative motion between the striker need'le'and detonator, and-yet to permitisuch relative' motion [on the sudden in terruption of the flight of the projectile,[

caused by its impact on an object, resulting either in the members being displaced from their central position and their endsurlfaces being caused :to travel up the inclined surfaces of the conical seatings, thus bringing V the detonator and needle together, or in rela-" tive longitudinal movement of the detonator or holder in the absence of such displace-- ment of the detonator device from its central position, according to 'the'angleat which the projectile strikes the object.

Two "embodiments of the invention "are illustrated 'by way of example inthe a'c com panying drawings, in Which: v

Figure-1 is a View partly insection; 'Fig. 2 is a plan 'thereofywhile' f Y-Fig. 5 is a corresponding plan ofon'econ struction; V

Fig; '6'is asectional elevationg l' i F g] is an outside elevation; and olij'lg. 8 1s a-planoi': a secondconstruction,

and plan of theinertia collaremployed in vided .With an internal. screW-thread'Q, for

effecting connection Withtheshell and'with an internaliscrewthread' 3 which engages to. close the chamber 5, 'I'At the baseofjthis' a detonator holder l0, and a striker needle :11;; cooperates," a

I V w H 'fined by the inertia collar 14. i housing the detp I I l the body an'd,'asjshown,preventsgso long 'as contact f'vvith the Walls thereof, a spring ring '16, the "construction of which is.. shown more and support the collar in place' on theklet- V (the head 9"o f:t -he' strikerpellet', aj grooveor 5' Will be caused'to move rearvvardly in the for the; safety p'in and' will thus prevent g V dirt; entering this chamber by' Way of lthese-" f Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations of a detail;

- the inertia collar 14, the sprin l3 wiil-no- 1 7120 v Vthenpperjend of'thedetonator peilet mend i a'corresponding thread on the capl 5 chamber, the 'prinieffif is' srmng d and "iniij thestriker pelletp comprising a ,Spherical'or' conical surfacedhead 9, acylindrical body '75 spiral sprin 12 "being arranged *to itinain a 55 tain, normally, :the' desired. relationship as regards 7 position between the detonatoi' 7 pellet and thestriker pellet-n 1 Around the cylindrical lbody lO; of "the?" striker pellet a stri or band'ofrspring:steeh' 13 is vvound,cand-' this stripio'r band is;con+

Asafety-pin 1f5is passed throughfhole's' inl the'pinisimposition, motion ot theinerti collar in a longitudinaldirection;

WVithin the chamber and Qi'nifriction clearly in ri s, r n s, is arranged? i ring-"is split at 17 I and is provided With-holes 1 In theiconstruction shovvninaFigs; 613 010; the inertia collar 14: ispro vided 'withitwo' 7 pairs of cuts leaving twonarrcvv str'ipsbr; 7 ngers of metall l which arei bent inward I onator pellet and in the under surface of depression 9* :is!formed} V. 1 The operation of the fuse i'llu'strated by I Figs- 1 .to 5 is as 'follovvs I 1 11;

The safetyepin l5i-islwithdra'wn :prior to'105' the discharge of the projectileiwith' which," the'fuse isassociated.- g il;

In consequence of the acceleration: of the p projectile on its discharge, the striker pelletif1 chamber fi' as also vvillf-be theinertia'collar V l land thespring ring 16. The 'movernent? 1 of the spring ring 16vvil'l cause thering-td cover the holes providedin the b'ody holes. J

. As a result of the rearward movementof longer be confined by iit, but "t e rearward-f motion of i the striker apellets will cause the spring band to be hel between'thehunderfz side of the" head 9 of the" striker ,pellet'end thusgfurther motion ofthfe' striker needleiin" 12,5 relation to (the -.detonator will 1 beprelvented;

, When the acceleration ofthe projectile with which: the fuseris associated falls-below a V predetermined "positive-value, the sprin'g 121 f 1 Wm cause r nd (mete ellet to move apart; the spring 13 will then 0. longer be held between the underside of ehead 9-of the striker pellet and the upper end of the detonator pellet and will 5 ftherefore 'uncoil and, in expanding, vwill :take up a position in which it will no longer "prevent relative position between the striker "pellet; andthe detonator pellet to explode -the detonator, which motion will take place as aigresult ofthe projectile striking an object,- and will result in the ignition of the bursting charge in the projectile. v I ffThe operation of the construction illusrated in Figs. 6 to 10 is quite similar except 'that;the'acceleration of the projectile Ifon its discharge from the gun causes the fingers '14? to be bent or wedged outward thus permitting the'collar 14: to move to the irear of thechamber 5, the spring band 13. 0 being then no longer confined by it. The striker pellet being however, simultaneously j caused tomove toward the rear end of the chamber will, however, cause the spring band 13 to be engaged in the groove or de- Ypression 9 formed initshead, such action serving to retain the spring band between the striker and detonator pellets until the acceleration'of the projectile has fallen below acertain positive'value when the spring 12 will, cause the striker and detonator pellets tomove apart and set free the spring band 12, thus permitting it to take up a po- 7 sition in which it will no longer prevent relative motion between the striker and det- V onator pellets, to explode the detonator.

7 Having, now' what I claim as new and desire to secure by 7 Letters Patent is 1.; A" fuse for projectiles including in i fopies of this patent may be obtained for described my invention,

combination, an attachingbody having a 40 chamber, a closure cap for the chamber, a

primer seated in the chamber, a striker pellet having a cylindrical body, a detonator pellet having a tubular stem designed to receive the body of the striker pellet, spring means between the pellets for yieldingly holding them respectively against the cap and the primer, a clock sprin arranged about the body of the striker pel et and positioned between the head of the striker pelletand the end of the stem of the detonator pellet, and an inertia collar frictionally engaged with the outer surface of the stem of the detonator pellet and with the outer surface of the clock spring.

2. A fuse for projectiles including in combination, an attaching body formed with a chamber having opposed openings in the walls, a cap for closing the chamber, a split ring frictionally engaged with the inner surface of the chamber, a primer seated in the chamber, coactive striker and detonator pellets'in the chamber, spring means between the pellets for yieldingly holding them respectively against the cap and primer,'a resilient member arranged about the body of the striker pellet and between the head of said striker pellet and the end of the detonator pellet, an inertia band frictionally engaged with the detonator pellet and the resilient member, and a locking pin removably engaged through the openings in the chamber and with the split ring and beneath the inertia collar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK WILLIAM VIGKERY.

five cents each, by addressing the Qommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.? 

